Rapid City Trio Get Decades for Brutal Vanjacking

RAPID CITY, SD – A trio of Rapid City men are facing decades behind bars after being sentenced for a brutal carjacking that unfolded in October 2017. The incident, marked by extreme violence and the use of firearms, culminated in a harrowing ordeal for the victim, who was left severely injured.

On August 13, 2020, Judge Jeffrey L. Viken of the U.S. District Court handed down the sentences. Moses Crowe, age 27, convicted by a jury of Carjacking Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, received a total of 22 ½ years in federal prison. He also faces two concurrent 5-year terms of supervised release and must pay $300 in assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Ranson Long Pumpkin, age 33, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after the same jury found him guilty of Aiding and Abetting, Carjacking Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Like Crowe, Long Pumpkin will also serve two concurrent 5-year terms of supervised release and pay $200 in assessments. Saul Crowe previously pleaded guilty on January 25, 2019, to Carjacking and Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, receiving just over 20 years in prison on June 21, 2019.

Court evidence revealed a disturbing level of brutality. On October 13, 2017, Moses Crowe, Long Pumpkin, and Saul Crowe forcibly carjacked an occupied van. The victim was repeatedly strangled until unconscious, then driven to a remote location north of Rapid City where he was pistol-whipped and savagely beaten. The attackers then escalated the violence, with Moses Crowe and Saul Crowe each firing multiple rounds from semi-automatic pistols near the victim, while Long Pumpkin continued the physical assault.

U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons emphasized this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between all levels of law enforcement and local communities. The Department of Justice revitalized PSN in 2017, focusing on targeting violent criminals and implementing localized strategies for crime reduction.

The investigation was a coordinated effort involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Rapid City Police Department, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the RCPD/PCSO Special Response Team. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Sazama and Gina Nelson successfully prosecuted the case, with ATF Special Agent Riley Cook serving as the lead investigator. Crowe and Long Pumpkin were immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to begin serving their lengthy sentences.

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